Frictional gearing.



Patented lune 5, I900. W. M. WALLACE.

FBICTIONAL GEABING.

(Application filed Feb. '9, 1,900.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet I.

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NORRIS ETERS 00., vnofouyncu WASH N0. 65|,I72. Patented June 5, I900. w.m. WALLACE.

FRICTIONAL- HEARING.

(Application filed Feb. 9, 1900,)

2 Sheets$heet 2.

(No Model.)

Jillillllllfi UNITED STATES PATENT FRICTIONAL CARlN'G.

SPECIFICATION forming as. of Letters Patent No. 651,172, dated June 5,1900.

Application filed February 9,1900. Serial No. 4,673. (No model.)

T0 on whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. WALLACE, a citizenof the United States,residing at WVashingtomin the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Frictional Gearing; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of frictional gearing wherein powerfrom the main driving-shafts of an engine, motor, or other. prime moveris transmitted to a secondary shaft which is adapted to be rotated at avariable speed and which can be stopped entirely or reversed in itsdirection of rotation at will; and it has for its principal object toprovide a simple and effective means of transferringpower and motionfrom the main driving-shaft of an engine or motor to the differentdevices to which it may be applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting theposition of the secondary shaft to fix a predetermined rate of speed.

d Other objects of the invention-such as providing for. stopping therotation of the secondary shaft, reversing its direction of rotation,and creating avariable frictional contact of pressure-will be readilyapparent upon the further description thereof.

The invention consists, preferably, of a set of two driving-shaftscarrying friction-wheels rotating in opposite directions, which transmit motion to a secondary shaft through the medium of friction disksrigidly mounted thereon.

The invention also consists of suitable mechanism for adjusting thefriction-wheels on the driving-shafts with relation to the-frictiondisksonthe secondary shaft.

The invention further consists of mechanism for adjusting the secondaryshaft with respect to the location of the friction-wheels to increase ordecrease its speed of rotation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of one form of my improvedfriction-gearing; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, another ormodified form; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the first form, and Fig. 5 adetail of the operating-lever and connections for ad latory supports.

meral 1 indicates a suitable base upon which is supported one end eachof two drivingshafts 2 and 3 of an engine, motor, or other prime mover.Each of these shafts has rigidly secured thereon a friction-wheel 4. InFigs. 1, 2, and 4 the shaft 2 is journaled in a suitable bearing in afixed support and shaft 3 in a bearing in an oscillatory support, whilein Fig. 3 both shafts are journaled in oscila bearing 5, provided withdownwardly-extending lugs 6, to which are rigidly attached the upperends of standards 7, the standard supporting shaft 2 being rigidlysecured to the base, while the standard supporting the shaft 3 ispivoted to a lug 8, so as to permit the friction-wheel carried by saidshaft to be rocked back and forth, as shown in Fig. 2. The bearings 5are also provided with upweirdly-extending lugs 9, to which are rigidlyattached the lower ends of standards 10. To the upper end of one of thestandards 10 is fulcrumed a hand operating-lever 11, which is pivotallyconnected with the other lever 10 by a turnbuckle connection 12, bymeans of Each shaft is journaled in which the distance between the twostandards may be regulated.

The numeral 13 indicates a secondary shaft, which may be supported inany suitable manner, so long as it shall be capable of a movement towardand from the frictionwheels 4. Preferably it is supported in suitablebearings in standards 14, which are movably seated in recesses 15 in thebase 1. Bigidly mounted upon the secondary shaft is a centralfriction-disk 16 and an outside friction-disk 17. The disk 16 isprovided with parallel faces and is arranged to receive power from thefriction-wheels. The disk 17 has an inner parallel face and is arrangedto receive power from the friction-wheel on the shaft 3. The secondaryshaft is arranged to have a slight longitudinal movement in itsbearings, and this is accomplished by a coilspring 18, which encircles aportion of the secondary shaft,with one end abutting against the innerface of one of the bearings andthe other end against a collar 19,1ooseon the secondary shaft, said collar abutting against a collar 20,rigidly secured on said shaft, and ball-bearings between the adjacentfaces of said collars. The force exerted by the spring tends to hold thedisk 16 out of contact with the friction-wheel on shaft 2 (Figs. 1, 2,and 3) when the friction-wheel on shaft 3 is moved toward thefriction-disk 17. The secondary shaft is provided with a suitablemedium, a sprocket-wheel 21 being shown, for conveying power to themachine or other device.

At each side of the base, in line with the standards 1%, is secured alug 22, and journaled in the lugs is a rockable bar 23. To one end ofthe rockable bar is rigidly secured an arm 24, to the end of which ispivoted one end of the link 25, the other end of said link being pivotedto one of the standards 15. To the other end of said rockable bar isrigidly secured an operatingdever 2G, to which is pivoted one end of alink 27, the other end of said link being pivoted to the otherstandardl4. Secured to the base is a notched seg ment 2S, and mounted in eyessecured to the operating-lever is a spring-actuated bolt 29, which isadapted to engage the notches in the segment to hold the operating-leverin any desired position and thereby the secondary shaft at any desiredpoint. The spring actuated bolt is released from its engagement with thenotches by means of a bell-crank lever 30, which is connected to thebolt by a rod 31.

The operation of the above-described mech anism is as follows: Upondownward pressure being applied to the hand operating-lever 11 thefriction-wheel 011 shaft 3 will be caused to contact with the face ofthe central disk 16, and a further pressure will force said disk incontact with the friction-wheel on shaft 2. brought into contact withthe disk 16 the retary motion of said friction-wheels will betransmitted to said disk and through the disk to the secondary shaft. Toreverse the rotation of the secondary shaft,the hand-lever 11 is thrownupward, forcing the friction-wheel on shaft 3' out of contact with thedisk 16 and into contact with the face of the disk 17. As

the friction-wheel makes contact with said I 16, will move the secondaryshaft a slight disi tance in its bearings, sufficient to take said diskout of contact with the friction-wheel on shaft 2. In this position nomotion will be transmitted to the secondary shaft. Dilferent speeds maybe obtained by the adjustment of the secondary shaft. The nearer thement. contact with the central disk motion is transcontact of thefriction-wheels withthe disks is made to the outer circumference of saiddisks the slower the rotation of the secondary shaftand the closer thecontact to the center of the disks the greater the speed. If therelative positions of the several parts are as shown in the drawings,the rate of speed of rotation of the secondary shaft may be increased bymoving the operating-lever 26 in the direction of the arrow. This willbring the standards 14; and thesecondary shaft in closer proximity tothe friction-wheels, changing the contacting point of saidfriction-wheels with the friction-disk to a position nearer to thecentor of said disk.

A variable speed may be obtained with the contact made at any point onthe disks by varying the pressure upon the hand operating lever 11, sothat the frictional contact between the friction wheels and disks may belight or heavy.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 both main driving-shafts aresupported in oscillatory bearings similar to the support for the shaft 3shown in Fig. 2, the hand-lever ll operating to bring bothfriction-wheels into contact with the faces of the central disk 32 and.to separate and force them into contact with the outside disks 33 and34:. In this form with two outside disks it is not necessary to give thesecondary shaft a longitudinal move- By bringing the fIlOlBlOII'WhGGISinto mitted to the secondary shaft in one direction, and by separatingthe friction-wheels land bringing them into contact with the outsidedisks motion is transmitted to said secondary shaft in the oppositedirection, the same as in the first-described form of gearing. As soonas the friction-wheels are 1 Various modifications and changes in thedetails of construction may be made without departing from the principlethereof-such, ffor instance, as supporting the secondary 'shaft inmovable bearings arranged in stationary standards or supports, it onlybeing necessary to provide for moving said shaft and not its supportstoward and from the friction-wheels.

Having thus fully described my invention,

3 what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by i Letters Patent, is-

1. In a friction-gear for transmitting power,

the combination with two oppositely-drivable shafts and a friction-wheelsecured on one end for causing the friction-wheels to transmit power tothe disks and means for moving said secondary shaft to increase ordecrease its speed of rotation.

2. In a friction-gear for transmitting power,

1 the combination with two oppositely-drivable shafts, of afriction-wheel. secured on one end of each shaft, of a secondary shaft,friction- .disks secured on the secondary shaft, means for causing thefriction-wheels to transmit power to the friction-disks and an operatingstints lever and connections for moving the secondary shaft, to increaseor decrease its speed of rotation.

3. In a friction-gear for transmitting power, the combination with twooppositely-drivable shafts, friction wheels secured thereon, a rigidsupport for one of said shafts and an oscillatory support for the othershaft, of a secondary shaft, a friction-disk secured thereon forrotating the shaft in one direction, a second friction-disk secured onsaid shaft for rotating it in the opposite direction, and a lever andconnections for moving the friction-wheel on the movable shaft into andout of contact with the friction-disks.

at. In a friction-gear for transmitting power, the combination with twooppositely-drivable shafts, friction wheels secured thereon, a rigidsupport for one of said shafts and an oscillatory support for the othershaft, of a secondary shaft, a friction-disk secured thereon forrotating the shaft in one direction, a second friction-disk secured onsaid shaft for rotating it in the opposite direction, standards or armsprojecting from the bearings of said driving-shafts, and a leverfulcrumed to one of said standards and connected to the other standard,whereby the friction-wheels maybe operated to engage one of thefrictiondisks and separated to cause one of said friction-wheels toengage the other disk.

5. In a friction-gear for transmitting power, the combination with twooppositely-drivable shafts, of a friction-wheel secured on one end ofeach shaft, friction-disks secured on the secondary shaft, a lever andconnections for causing the friction-wheels to transmit power to thedisks, and a lever and connections for moving the secondary shaft toincrease or de-- crease its speed of rotation.

6. In a friction-gear for transmitting power,

shafts, and a friction-wheel secured on oneend of each shaft, of asecondary shaft, longitudinally movable in its bearings, friction diskssecured on the secondary shaft, means for causing the friction-wheels totransmit motion to said disks, means for moving the secondary shaft toincrease or decrease its speed of rotation, and means for holding saidsecondary shaft at any position to which it may be moved.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM M. WALLACE. Witnesses:

J J. NELLIGAN, J. R. NOTTINGHAM.

